Since their discovery, the cycloaliphatic ketones known as damascones and damascenones, specially .alpha.- and .beta.-damascone and .beta.-damascenone [see E. Demole et al., Helv. Chim. Acta, 53, 541 (1970) and Swiss Pat. No. 520,479 ], have found an ever increasing utilization in a great variety of applications in both the perfumery and the flavor industry. The interest taken in this class of compounds is shown by the number of scientific publications and letter patents appeared in the last decade and dealing with this subject.
Due to their commercial interest, industry has spent a great deal of efforts in the development of economical industrial processes for their preparation.